Vietnamese

Bún bò Huế

A deeply savory Huế-style beef noodle soup with lemongrass, fermented shrimp paste, chili-annatto oil, tender beef shank, and pork hock. Serve it steaming hot with thick rice noodles, banana blossom, herbs, lime, and fresh chile.

▶Watch it madeCô Ba Bình Dương · 14:38

Ingredients

• Beef marrow or neck bones900g
• Pork hock, cut into 2 thick rounds450g
• Beef shank300g
• Thick round rice vermicelli noodles for bún bò Huế300g fresh or 180g dried
• Lemongrass stalks, bruised5
• Yellow onion, halved1 small
• Ginger, sliced20g
• Vietnamese fermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc Huế)1 1/2 tbsp
• Fish sauce2 tbsp, plus more to taste
• Rock sugar or granulated sugar1 tbsp
• Kosher salt1 1/2 tsp, plus more to taste
• Water2.5 liters
• Neutral oil3 tbsp
• Annatto seeds1 tbsp
• Finely minced lemongrass, tender inner part only2 tbsp
• Vietnamese chili flakes or fresh minced red chile1 to 2 tbsp
• Garlic, minced3 cloves
• Shallot, minced1 small
• Hue-style pork sausage or chả lụa, sliced100g
• Cooked pork blood cubes, optional100g
• Thinly sliced onion1/4 small onion
• Scallions, sliced2
• Cilantro, chopped1 small handful
• Banana blossom, finely shredded1 cup
• Bean sprouts1 cup
• Vietnamese mint, mint, or Thai basil1 handful
• Lime wedges2
• Fresh red chile, sliced1

Method

1. Soak the bones, pork hock, and beef shank in cold salted water for 20 minutes, then rinse well to remove surface blood.
2. Place the bones, pork hock, and beef shank in a pot, cover with fresh water, boil hard for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse the meat, bones, and pot clean.
3. Return the cleaned bones, pork hock, and beef shank to the pot with 2.5 liters water, the bruised lemongrass, onion, and ginger.
4. Bring to a gentle boil, skim carefully, then simmer uncovered over low heat for 1 hour.
5. Dissolve the mắm ruốc in 1/2 cup warm broth or water, let it settle for 10 minutes, then pour only the clear upper liquid into the soup, leaving the gritty sediment behind.
6. Continue simmering until the pork hock is tender but not falling apart, about 45 minutes more, then remove it and set aside covered.
7. Simmer until the beef shank is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes more, then remove it, cool slightly, and slice thinly across the grain.
8. Keep the broth gently simmering and season with fish sauce, sugar, and salt until it tastes savory, aromatic, and slightly sweet with a clear lemongrass-shrimp paste depth.
9. In a small pan, heat the oil with annatto seeds over low heat until the oil turns deep orange-red, then strain out and discard the seeds.
10. Return the colored oil to the pan and fry the minced lemongrass, garlic, shallot, and chile until fragrant and the lemongrass loses its raw edge, about 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Stir most of the chili-lemongrass oil into the broth, reserving a little for spooning over the bowls.
12. Prepare the noodles according to the package directions, rinse briefly if needed, and divide them between 2 large warmed bowls.
13. Slice the pork hock meat and arrange it over the noodles with sliced beef shank, pork sausage, and optional pork blood cubes.
14. Ladle boiling broth over each bowl, making sure the meats are heated through.
15. Top with thinly sliced onion, scallions, cilantro, and a spoonful of the reserved chili-lemongrass oil.
16. Serve immediately with banana blossom, bean sprouts, herbs, lime wedges, and sliced fresh chile on the side.

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